


Stories of the Second Self: Extracurricular Policing

by John_Steiner



Series: Alter Idem [117]
Category: Police - Fandom, Urban Fantasy - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:40:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22641178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: Still in uniform, and not yet recovered from his operation, Daniel Yi nonetheless feverishly works to earn his detective's certificate. Putting his criminology textbook into the glove box of Officer Chaney's squad car, Daniel notices all the note pads that Chaney had used to jot down names of people he had warned on the job. Curious about that, Daniel realizes that Chaney's unorthodox police technique has landed him in hot water with the Internal Investigations Section. Daniel also sees a SWAT manual that includes magic spells.
Series: Alter Idem [117]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813





	Stories of the Second Self: Extracurricular Policing

"What's that you're reading there?" Officer Chaney asked Yi.

Three months had passed since the Ridgewood pack member arrest and questioning that Daniel Yi witnessed. His wings were nearly fully sized, and his antidepressant dosage diminishing steadily. He'd enrolled into school to earn his bachelors in criminal justice and criminology, but classes hadn't yet started.

However, he decided to get his first semester's books ahead of time and read them, while he did street patrols alongside Chaney, to whom Daniel replied, "Oh, case histories for my upcoming class."

"You're really doing the detective route, huh?" Chaney asked, switching his attention between the road and the book cover.

"They're never letting me fly an aircraft again," Daniel said, "Might as well do something with the college credits I got so far."

"Admit it," Chaney smirked, "You like the questioning sessions."

"Yeah, that was fun," Daniel admitted and closed the book. "Hey, you mind if I put this in the glove box?"

"Mmm, go ahead." Chaney waved at the dash.

Opening it up, Daniel saw a small collection of notepads, one of which he opened. "What's this?"

"You remember the street fight between the giant kids and the werewolves?" Chaney asked.

"Yeah, you took down their names," Daniel answered, and thought back on that before looking at the notes again. "There's gotta be five people per page here, and something like twenty pages in each. You trackin' that many people to who you issued warnings?"

"Guess you didn't see the department hearing summons then," Chaney noted, and looked to the glove box.

In response, Daniel picked up the document and after reading a couple paragraphs, turned to Chaney. "Are you in trouble for this?"

"Maybe," Chaney answered evasively at first. "Kinda yeah."

Daniel looked at the names list, and after a couple pages noticed something. "Okay, you got check marks on a couple of these and an 'X' on this other name. What's that about?"

"Check marks are ones I had to come back around and either issue fines or arrests," Chaney confessed, looking a bit guilty. "The 'X' is for when another officer had to deal with after I let them off."

"By-the-book versus a peace officer," Daniel recalled one of Chaney's earliest lessons working the beat. "It's like my text says, no system of justice is perfect."

"Now I gotta explain to someone who's never worked the street why I think my system is better, so that they don't file charges on me," Chaney rued, then shook his head. "I been on this job since before you were out of high school. Especially after becoming a howler, I feel I owe it to my old neighborhood to stick with it. Be the voice my people need in the department."

"Officer Cole Chaney," Daniel chided, searching his partner's face. "Peace officer, social advocate, and champion of Norwood."

"In the old days, I never appreciated not having cops represent my group of people," Chaney reflected, "Now I see what critics of policing policies meant. There're a few of us howlers on the force, but we were cops first. If they succeed in getting rid of us there's no guarantee they'll hire other werewolves after. They'll believe what that giant kid said about all of us having some pack code against snitching.

"I can't let that happen," Chaney finished up his pre-hearing plea.

"No, I understand what you mean," Daniel replied with sympathy. "I wouldn't have gotten it but for working with you, but I see the point now. So how're you going to handle it?"

"Was kinda hoping you could help with that," Chaney admitted, "See, I got a data pool of sorts there. Not many check marks and a lot fewer X's. What I'd like to do is compare that with Cincinnati arrest statistics and recidivism rates. If I can show my way brought fewer repeat offenders, and turned people away from harder crimes, I think I have a shot making my case."

"Yeah, I can help with that," Daniel accepted with a nod, and noticed something else while putting the summons and notepad back.

"Thanks," Chaney said, blinking a few times.

Sweeping through the pile, Daniel sighted multiple small booklets. "And these?"

"Really?" a now incredulous Chaney said, "The whole glove box?"

"Says it's a SWAT manual," Daniel remarked, having ignored the protest as he opened the cover, "but there's all these hand gestures. I'm guessing they're not martial arts moves."

Chaney ran a tense hand over his head, and down his buzzed neck hair. "Uhh, and that's the other thing I'm trying to work out."

"You're goin' for that revamped SWAT program, aren't you?" Daniel nodded slowly with the smirk coming back. "What's your Episcopalian church have to say about stuff like this?"

"It's not the power of God, I know," Chaney confessed, "But surprisingly, they haven't mentioned it a whole lot. Tell you the truth, I don't think the Diocesan knows what to do about it. Most religions who aren't reactionary are still struggling with the whole mess of supernatural stuff. Detective Carpenter, over in Pentacaste Division, says that the Catholic church has Vatican Councils annually since Year One to figure out their official stance. By the way, side note, she's that detective who isn't too keen on you angels, so remember that. It might be important some day."

"Spells, Weapons, Assault Tactics," Daniel read off the cover that he switched back to, before reading the particular booklet while observing. "Hey, this is that zip tie restraint spell you did."

"Yeah, that was the start," Chaney mentioned, "Might as well see the rest. Have it all out between us."

"And this?" Daniel asked with the next booklet in hand, but opened it to find out for himself. "A rune to stop hostile spells involving fire. They're not shittin' about all this, are they?"

"Idea is," Chaney began to say, but paused while checking right side before making a lane change, and then went on, "that just as we're seeing spells become murder weapons and used in other crimes, SWAT should know spells to enforce the law, even if we don't have criminal laws about magic yet. Most of that stuff is to prevent or remove spells and hexes."

"Hexes," Daniel repeated while thumbing through pages depicting the accurate drawing of runes. "That's a word I never thought to hear in serious conversation. By an Episcopalian, no less."

"Detective Carpenter is a full blown witch," Chaney explained, "Though, no one is quite sure where she learned it so early on. I get a disciplinary hearing for taking names and 'not' kicking ass," Chaney shifted back to his gripe, "but another cop dives headlong into dark arts territory and no one bats an eye."

"Given her division," Daniel prefaced, "Don't you think she's using it as an investigative tool?"

"She is, and I get that," Chaney said, winding down. "Ahh, just feel the need to bitch, is all. I mean, you saw how those kids were when we Code Four'd that incident, right? I don't have to be a hard case to do my job, and I don't need to screw up some young pup's life to enforce the law. Just need those guys in Internal Investigations Section to see that."

"I can hit up the college library and the department's files," Daniel said, nodding to himself, "and help you with the recidivism analysis. Maybe even help with your defense overall, if you need it."

"Let's see what comes of the hearing, first," Chaney said, casually managing the wheel with one overhand grip. "They tell me I don't need representation yet, but I've been shopping around for defense firms anyway. I'll keep you in the loop, Daniel."

Initially, Daniel was just going to put the booklet back, but then set himself about the task of organizing the notepads and SWAT spell booklets. He set the summons between the two and just stared at it for a long moment before closing the glove box. That summons stepped between where Officer Chaney was and where he wanted to go in the department.


End file.
